Navi Mumbai Crime: Fake Number Plate, 62 Red Thars & CCTV Trail Lead Police To Molestation Accused In 10 Hours

Navi Mumbai: With 62 red-coloured Thar vehicles coming under their investigation radar, four Crime Branch teams used CCTV footage, mobile dump data, RTO records and inputs from Mahindra service centres to trace a red Thar allegedly used in a molestation case in Kharghar and arrest its driver within 10 hours.

Fake Number Plate Poses Challenge

The investigation began with a major hurdle — the registration number displayed on the Thar was fake. Crime Branch Unit 3, Panvel, led by Senior Police Inspector Audumber Patil, therefore began working on multiple leads simultaneously to identify the vehicle and its driver.

The case was registered at Kharghar police station after a 26-year-old woman alleged that she was molested by a masked man travelling in a red Thar around 10.30 pm on September 30. The woman was walking from BD Somani School towards Pethpada Metro station when the accused allegedly approached her and touched her inappropriately before driving away.

Four Teams Launch Parallel Probe

The Crime Branch formed four teams to trace the vehicle and the accused. "One team worked on mobile dump data to identify possible movements and suspects in the area, while another meticulously followed the CCTV trail along the route taken by the Thar. A third team coordinated with RTO officials and obtained details of red-coloured Thars registered with the Panvel and Vashi RTOs. The fourth team contacted Mahindra service centres and worked on vehicle-specific details that could help identify the Thar, as the registration number displayed on it was found to be fake," PI Patil said.

The CCTV footage initially showed the registration number MH 43 AR 6335. However, RTO verification revealed that the number belonged to a Maruti Wagon-R, not a Thar. This confirmed that the vehicle was being driven with a false number plate.

Police Scrutinise 62 Red Thars

Police then scrutinised the details of 62 registered red-coloured Thars matching the description. The information gathered by the four teams was cross-checked with CCTV footage, dump data, RTO records and service-centre inputs. By matching the different strands of information, investigators gradually eliminated the other vehicles and zeroed in on the Thar allegedly used in the offence.

The vehicle was eventually identified as a red Thar bearing its original registration number MH 20 FU 3751. It was traced to Bonkode in Koparkhairane, where police found and arrested its alleged driver, Ali alias Talib Ahsan Naqvi, 30, a resident of Seawoods.

Accused In Fabrication Business

Naqvi is engaged in the fabrication business, and the Thar belonged to his father, police said. During questioning, police said he admitted to the offence. He was medically examined and handed over to Kharghar police for further investigation. Police Inspector Sanjay Joshi of Kharghar police station is conducting the further investigation.

Police are also examining whether the accused could be linked to other similar incidents. Officials suspect that he may have been driving around at night and targeting women, while some victims may not have reported such incidents. Investigators are checking this angle and examining whether any other cases can be linked to him.

The accused has a previous case registered at Nerul police station in 2021 for kidnapping and molestation.

"The stretch where the incident happened was part of my regular route for a night walk after dinner, and I had never imagined such an incident would occur there. I am now afraid to use the same road or go for night walks," the complainant told FPJ.

She also said several people had discouraged her from filing an FIR, fearing for her safety. However, she felt she would not be satisfied if she did not take action against the man who had allegedly molested her and decided to approach the police. She said she was relieved that the police were able to trace and arrest the accused.

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